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90 Comments
- rpi22, on 05/28/2008, -1/+27For a lot of the corporate sponsors its nothing more than PR.
- tomwhughes, on 05/29/2008, -1/+23Yes, although this is image is true to a certain extent, the OLPC program is part of a long term solution to the problem. Education is the key to ending poverty, as we all know information is power. Technology can aid in the facilitation of this information sharing and education. Giving poverty stricken children food and shelter will only be a short term solution. Giving them the intellectual means to challenge the way they live and strive for something better is a possible long term solution.
I know that cynics would say that you cannot learn if you are dead, but we cannot keep trying to solve this problem with short term solutions.
Anyway that's just my 2c on the matter... - banthis, on 05/29/2008, -2/+19Sugar Labs all the way!
- edebolt, on 05/29/2008, -3/+19Inflation ! He got a job at the Two laptop per child company.
- pxlpshr, on 09/04/2008, -6/+22“I think some people, including Walter, became much too fundamental about open source,” - Mr. Negroponte
Ding! - directive0, on 05/29/2008, -2/+16Sigh. You think you're clever or something for realizing that giving computers to children who don't have basic food and amenities is a fallacy??? You think you're the only person in the world who might have realized this? OH MAN! STOP THE PRESSES! Better call up OLPC and let them know what a massive failure this will be. Thank god there are snarky commenter on the internet, or this would've been a disaster.
OH BUT WAIT, you're not clever, you're just repeating the same ***** misinformation as every other snarky, cynical, douchebag who uses negativity and sarcasm to sound intelligent. Here's a fun little activity for you
These are pictures of real OLPC deployments. How many do you see that look like they are starving/thirsty/in need of medical supplies?
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/f/ff/P1020164-1.JPG
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/5/56/001_Arahuay.JPG
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/2/21/P1070144.JPG
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/a/ae/XOrientation_in ...
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/0/00/Galadima0.jpg
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/a/a5/Bashuki_class2_ ...
http://wiki.laptop.org/images/thumb/7/79/Atlas_Pub ...
What's that? None of them? Yes! That's right, you are correct. You know why? Because OLPC is not targeting STARVING children for this program, they are targeting areas of the world where there is food, shelter, medicine, but one glaring omission: EDUCATION! Get yourself some, and maybe your contributions to this discussion will become relevant! - vulapine, on 05/29/2008, -1/+12I agree. There seems to be a lot of self interest that was driving Bender. He is a founder of Sugar labs and was happy to be in charge of software development as long as his software, Sugar, was the basis of the system, but when another software player walks in he stops his feet and goes off to find someone who will play his game his way (other laptop manufacturers).
I'm not Microsoft fan, but if your goal is to educate children, it shouldn't matter who codes the software when you are overseeing the development process. - BattleScars, on 05/29/2008, -1/+10You buy a new laptop every year and you're complaining about impoverished children getting one measly windup plastic computer. Maybe before arguing against other people's ideas you should take a look at your own privileged existence and consider what you could do to help.
- diggbeerfridge, on 05/29/2008, -0/+8It's actually 2laptops1child but anyone could make that mistake.
- doctordbx, on 05/29/2008, -1/+9Too many people think you can educate children by doping them up on Ritalin and using a school as a cheap child minding service.
- Jonjonr6, on 05/29/2008, -2/+10Giving starving children a laptop IS a short term "solution".
I learned without a laptop. Most people you know probably learned without a computer or a laptop.
They need food, clean drinking water, a stable government, a school with regular learning materials like paper, pencils, BOOKS damnit BOOKS! not laptops that cannot even connect to the rest of the world. How about chalk boards and educated teachers. - tama00, on 05/29/2008, -13/+20I still honestly cant believe a non-profit organisation set to do good for childrens education is now a tool for microsofts to make a profit.
That itself is disgusting! - jackusage, on 05/29/2008, -1/+8This only represents a departure of the Sugar software. Negroponte is still there.
- BrainDance, on 05/29/2008, -0/+7OLPCs are designed a hell of a lot differently then whatever laptop you're buying. They don't have a hard drive and are generally very rugged, hell the keyboard is waterproof and dirtproof (annoying to type on though.) The only thing they have in common with a laptop you would buy retail is that they have an LCD attached and are compact.
The OS comes packaged in with a lot of nifty educational applications as well. I don't have much use for them but I can see them being helpful. I think the whole "children need a future" concept is really what OLPC is about, you get a future by being educated. Sure theres books, but what books are likely to be used in poor classrooms in India? How up to date are their textbooks on, say, biology going to be? The project really serves to help children in developing countries get access to up to date information and the tools they need to even begin to compete with the education given to children in developed countries.
They aren't planning on ending world hunger. With that argument you could belittle any humanitarian effort. Whats the point of soup kitchens when people in Africa are starving? Whats the point of even supporting already developed schools (comparatively) in Detroit? Kids are starving in Africa! - inactive, on 05/29/2008, -19/+26One lap top per child...what a great idea!
http://i30.tinypic.com/s17ogj.jpg - Risingashes, on 05/29/2008, -2/+8After looking through the Sugar wiki I really don't see any reason that it couldn't operate on a windows OS.
The program looks rather basic to be honest. Nothing exactly revolutionary about it. Just a streamlined bunch of programs with a higher level of user communication- most of which is already achieved by readily available freeware programs.
As far as I know Microsoft aren't doing the whole thing to make money, but largely on a donation basis. I think a lot of these negative reactions are taking things a bit far. - caleb4mj, on 05/29/2008, -1/+7Microsoft is not fundamental about Windows? I have yet to see them actually help the FOSS side of this project.
- dienaked, on 05/29/2008, -0/+6Sounds like a conflict of interest.
Mr. Bender owns Sugar Labs, which makes the user interface for the OLPC.
Microsoft wants to help change the user interface which would negate or lessen Sugar Labs involvement and thus Mr. Bender's investment.
In case you didn't know, it is possible to work for a non-profit and draw a huge paycheck. - dkoon, on 05/29/2008, -5/+11Even more disgusting is that Bill Gates & Microsoft probably donated more than the whole open source community combined. That's just ridiculous!
- doctordbx, on 05/29/2008, -8/+13Almost as disgusting as locking out Microsoft because they are a corporation and therefore must be "evil" and it would be impossible for them to want to do good.
- inactive, on 05/29/2008, -6/+11"The project’s focus, he said, is on bringing low-cost laptop computers to children around the world. “It’s a great goal, but it’s not my goal,”
And how the ***** do you want these kids to use your educational software without a PC?
Negroponte was right, he's an open-source fundamentalist. He's also an education fundamentalist. This is about pushing Sugar, it has nothing to do with Microsoft.
"it plans to work with outside developers to port the software to Windows. “I’m not sure what that means,” Mr. Bender said. “I can’t do it, and I’m not going to work on it.”
This guy just doesn't want to compromise, even if it means giving POOR CHILDREN the opportunity to learn about information technologies. - caleb4mj, on 05/29/2008, -0/+5read something
- cparker, on 05/29/2008, -0/+5Laptops designed for an educational setting don't help provide education?
The last thing these children need is a distraction from the real world. Please keep the concept of a god or gods away from them. They need to focus on what actually matters, such as survival of the fittest, instead of wasting their time waiting around for some mythical fantasy to "rescue" them.
They will always remain third world unless they are given the tools to develop, advance, and come up to speed with the world's developed nations. Technology projects such as OLPC are one part of the solution. - randumbusername, on 05/29/2008, -3/+8so what. if a dying child life was saved by a P.R seeking rich person or company the child benefited.
regardless, the utopian approach the one laptop per child sought apparently isn't working.
soon as i read olpc would attempt to achieve their goals through governments around the world i knew it would be a failure. - caleb4mj, on 05/29/2008, -0/+4I learned a lot more about programming from my C64 with its User's Guide and Programmer's Manual than I was taught in the public school system. Actually they kicked me out of the school library for hacking. Big help that was for my education. I think too many people don't think, like its difficult or something.
- JonForTheWin, on 05/29/2008, -1/+5"soon as i read olpc would attempt to achieve their goals through governments around the world i knew it would be a failure."
Exactly. =/ - rpi22, on 05/29/2008, -0/+4If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish....
- Elranzer, on 05/29/2008, -0/+4"Because OLPC is not targeting STARVING children for this program, they are targeting areas of the world where there is food, shelter, medicine, but one glaring omission: EDUCATION!"
Alabama? - dienaked, on 05/29/2008, -0/+4Some people don't seem to realize what a OLPC laptop is. It is not a laptop that you yourself would EVER use.
It's more like a highly upgraded Speak-and-Spell from the 80's. - stk198323, on 05/29/2008, -1/+5I couldn't agree with you more then that!
While people are left to starve and die uneducated in Africa, some weirdo's in america fight's about which OS they will include on the laptop of those child... GEEZ!
I think a laptop could be a good idea if only they wouldn't be concerned about thing's like:
- Will I be able to eat tonight?
- Is there any water left at home to drink?
Beside learning thing's, what will THOSE thing serve in a population where there's no business (or almost none), that the most important skill to have is to be able to find food and water? I'm pretty sure someone able to name 100 of the humans bones will be really appreciated in such a community, it's such an important thing for them you know!
What I saw in this article is really the highest corruption EVER. Fighting over an OS for laptop paid for people who will probably don't give a damn! If that was really a non-profit organization they would be trying to include whichever OS they can to please the consumer! The country ask for a windows based version and one of the co-founder leaves because he's made at microsoft? Yeah that's pretty crappy of him! And also a non-profit corporation should try to raise money by a way or another in order to bring the cost of the laptop down for the country that buy's them. So then they could actually sell them at 100$ and not 160$ !!!
This whole idea seems to be fishy at best! - 4321234, on 05/29/2008, -0/+3Linux is free. The development tools are free. These are poor children in poor countries. Microsoft only got involved because they don't want millions of children in the developing world learning there's an alternative to windows.
- Phocion55, on 05/29/2008, -3/+6Funny thing is, Mr. Negroponte built the project entirely on those open source fundamentals initially....until MS stepped in.
That quote is a *COMPLETE* 180 from his original vision. - inactive, on 05/29/2008, -1/+4Microsoft is a business, they don't have to compromise anything. OLPC is the beggar, they don't get to choose.
But they still did:
First, Microsoft agreed to let OLPC make dual-boot systems for the countries that wanted it.
Second, they are FINANCING the distribution of the laptops:
http://www.microsoft.com/unlimitedpotential/defaul ...
They're teaming up with all kinds of companies in partnerships that have the sole purpose of putting computers in these people's hands. - Twinnie, on 05/29/2008, -0/+3Well a book can cos like $50 each and these laptops cost around $100. These are cheaper in the long run, they can load books on the machines for years and years.
- Stevethegreat, on 05/29/2008, -1/+3What do you suppose they do with their laptops, dine? Play games? Surf for porn? If it is as such then -yes- it won't put food on their table.
If not it WILL and that's exactly the point, as long as they're uneducated the local princes will always take advantage of them because -well- they're dumb. Education is the only tool which can dramatically wisen up the masses. We have no better alternative, I'm sorry, giving them more food is worthless, their local princes will steal it again. - myhandleondigg, on 05/29/2008, -0/+2"Walter Bender, a longtime collaborator of Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the nonprofit laptop group, left O.L.P.C. in April. Mr. Bender oversaw software development for the project." Not exactly a founder?
- JQP123, on 05/29/2008, -0/+2"The good thing about files and applications is that they reflect the structure of how the computer works ..."
The bad thing about files and applications is that they reflect the structure of how the computer works.
Why is this bad in this particular case? Because it distracts from the primary objective which is to learn and acquire generalized, basic knowledge that can be applied in many different areas. The technical semantics of how a computer operates may have their place but that place is not necessarily with young children.
The computer is a tool. Ideally, the computer should accomodate people as much as possible ... rather than vice versa. - tony23, on 05/29/2008, -0/+2NONE of it - food, books, computers, whatever - will help when you're dealing with starving children living in countries with corrupt governments that literally steal food from their own citizens.
It's all just a way for these people to assuage their guilt over being rich. - stk198323, on 05/29/2008, -0/+2SO ironic!!!!!
he following countries are currently participating in the project, or are receiving laptops from the Give One Get One program.
* Africa
o Rwanda (G1G1 pilot)[42]
And Rwanda is the ONLY African country participating.
But else:
Asia
* Afghanistan (G1G1 pilot)
* Cambodia (G1G1 pilot)
Although yes some other country makes more sens like Peru and Mexico but they are still marketing to people without a need! Just like... a normal corporation would do (opposed to a non-profit one!). The whole program is pure crap and a way to make money and the back of the poor of this world. Such a big deception to see some people will abuse anyone they can see to make money!
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_laptop_per_child - stk198323, on 05/29/2008, -0/+2The fact that a starving kid as more on his mind then some pretty colors on an LCD screen?
(Because to them that's all that a laptop is going to be!) - ubuwalker31, on 05/29/2008, -0/+2"Giving starving children a laptop IS a short term "solution"."
Well, giving starving children food is also a short term solution as well. Long term solutions include building infrastructure that will allow people to survive and flourish: creating sustainable farms, rooting out government corruption, educating children and adults so that they can participate in the global economy, making sure that people have a safe place to live, making sure water is clean, etc.
The fact of the matter is that any help we give is important, no matter whether it is short or long term. There is a place for both. - omnivector, on 05/29/2008, -0/+1God? GOD? Wow. Please go find another place to spout your crap.
- Stonekeeper, on 05/29/2008, -0/+1You say that like it's a bad thing. Oh wait....
- CoffmanRunner, on 05/30/2008, -0/+1This is exactly what i'm thinking too - some people really do live and die by the open source kool-aid but some I think are just around because they see money making opportunities
- CoffmanRunner, on 05/30/2008, -0/+1oh yea any day now everyone will just stop using windows. *Breaking News* In other news people stop using ipods
Grow up - windows is here to stay for a long while and no open source OS is going to suddenly jump up and take over. - Khast, on 05/29/2008, -1/+2One (or more) BSOD per child.
- CoffmanRunner, on 05/30/2008, -0/+1amen
- CoffmanRunner, on 05/30/2008, -0/+1Wow you all really think the windows can do no good don't you?
----
""After looking through the Sugar wiki I really don't see any reason that it couldn't operate on a windows OS."
That's not the point dumb ass."
---- - RungeKutta, on 05/29/2008, -0/+1Not that I really care one way or the other, but in this case why would it matter if the target country isn't using some form of Windows? Especially since the OS is fairly well hidden. Unless MS is going to either give a special FOSS-like license for Windows Mobile to OLPC or MS is going to fully support it all for free, why would the OLPC project or the "target" country care about having the choice to switch to Windows Mobile or Linux? At best OLPC will be going sideways, at worst backward.
- ericrous, on 05/29/2008, -3/+4So what? A Microsoft-bashing Linux fanatic is exposed for what he REALLY is (trying to couch himself as "helping children" when all he REALLY wants to do is spread his Open Source Gospel) and runs away. Big ***** loss.
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